In the news: Updated guidelines from the American Society of Magazine Editors.

Earlier this month, ASME updated its editorial guidelines to reflect changing attitudes toward sponsored content. According to Folio: writer Michael Rondon, the new guidelines forgo "specific procedural restrictions on advertiser-editor relationships in favor of a set of broader principles." Editors no longer face "prohibitions on cover advertising and editorial input in creating sponsored content."

What does ASME itself have to say? The revised guidelines posted on April 15 emphasize that editors must always serve readers first and should take care not to be unduly influenced by advertisers. Ultimately, the association has one vital piece of advice as editors go out into the sponsored-content wild: "Don't deceive the reader." Read Folio:'s roundup here and the new guidelines themselves here.

Also Notable

Magazines and Social Media

The Magazine Media Industry has just released its social media statistics for the first quarter. The quarterly report follows over 200 magazine brands on multiple social networking sites to measure audience growth. Leading the pack in likes/followers were National Geographic, ESPN The Magazine, and Time. Read more here.

"Buzzfeeding" B2B Content

Can B2B publications tap into Buzzfeed and Upworthy content strategies to attract a larger audience? Perhaps, according to Jon Hughes in a two-part Folio: piece ("4 Tips for 'Buzzfeeding' Your B2B Editorial Strategy"). "When it comes to [B2B] editorial content, we don't get to be silly," he writes in Part 2. "But that doesn't mean we have to be dry, boring and ignorant of use cases that may not be strictly professional in nature." Read both parts here and here.

Print Magazines in 2014

How did print magazine titles fare last year? Last week, Library Journal summarized the highlights from last year, which saw nearly 200 new titles and nearly 100 closures. Among its favorite new magazines of 2014 were Bella Grace, C|NET, and Craft Beer & Brewing. Read more here.